Ropa Vieja
Ropa Vieja is the national dish of Cuba. Beef is browned and then braised in seasoned, tomato-inflected broth and wine until it falls apart. Likely of Spanish origin and brought to the Americas, Ropa Vieja means “old clothes” in Spanish. Legend has it that a penniless old man of good faith had nothing to feed his family, so he boiled old clothes in a pot and prayed; miraculously it was transformed into this delicious dish! Serve Ropa Vieja with rice, black bean sauce, and fried plantains for a very traditional Cuban dinner or on its own too.
Prep Time: 15 minutes, Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes. Serves: 6 to 8.
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Cuban Style Fried Pork
Cuban Style Fried Pork or Masitas de Cerdo or Carne Frita de Puerco is a very popular Cuban dish and can be found on the menus of most Cuban sandwich shops and restaurants. These crispy yet succulent pork cubes are traditionally served with Sautéed Peppers and Onions, fried and mashed plantains (known as fufu in Cuba or mofongo in Puerto Rico), moros y cristianos (black beans cooked with white rice) or Black Bean Sauce and a fragrant rice pilaf.
Similar to Carnitas in that each recipe uses a two-step preparation method, the preparation of Cuban Style Fried Pork is quite different. Cuban Style Fried Pork is prepared by first making a mojo or marinade with a decided Caribbean twist; marinating the cubed pork in it for a long period imbues the pork with the marinade’s flavors and tenderize the pork at the same time, later the pork is drained and fried, both steps are very easy to do. You will be surprised how tasty Cuban Style Fried Pork is when you serve it at your home.
Prep Time: 40 minutes, Total Time: 55 minutes plus marinating time*. Serves 4.
Support Cook and Eat at Home. Purchase a PDF of the Cuban Style Fried Pork recipe for $1.00.
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Bistec de Palomilla
Bistec de Palomilla, or Cuban-style Steak as it is colloquially called, is one of the definitive dishes of Cuban cuisine. While growing up in New Jersey, most of Vito’s classmates and their families had newly arrived from Cuba. After school, it was a very special treat to be asked to stay for dinner at friends’ homes when their mothers would make Bistec de Palomilla for dinner. Elegant and delicious, it’s the go-to main course when dining in a Cuban restaurant.
Vito has such wonderful memories of having this dish at friends’ homes and associates it with real Cuban home cooking. While every family had their own recipe for Bistec de Palomilla, we humbly offer you oue own take on this Cuban classic for you to cook and eat at home with family and friends. Rather than frying the beef, we prefer and recommend grilling it. Enjoy with black bean sauce, fried plantains or boiled yucca and we predict it will become a favorite at your house.
Prep Time: 20 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour plus marinating time* Serves: 4
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Black Bean Sauce
Black Bean Sauce is an essential dish in Cuban cuisine. This recipe is my take on black bean sauce, reconstructed from the collective memories of many of my friends’ mothers preparing it as part of dinner while my friends and I did our homework together at the kitchen table. It’s great on its own, accompanied or not by hot, steaming white rice, served with Bistec de Palomilla (Cuban), Cuban Style Fried Pork or Masitas de Cerdo (Cuban) or Carnitas (Mexican) or grilled beef, chicken and pork.
Black Bean Sauce is best made prior to dinner or made as first as you then prepare the rest of the meal. Cooked and kept covered, the flavors really have time to develop together; simply return to a simmer prior to serving.
Total Time: 1 hour, Serves: 4
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